Picked up my M8.2 today!

[GMcD]

Hi All

This is my first post. I have been lurking for around a year and I must thank all you guys & gals for the information shared and wonderful images I have seen and enjoyed over the last 12 months.

Thinking long and hard I took the plunge today and purchased a Leica M8.2 from Red Dot Cameras in London. I had seen the camera at Photokina and decided it was for me. For those members in the London area I can only say that I had a most enjoyable experience in Red Dot. Friendly service and a good p/ex price on a lens I traded in.

So this evening I am charging the battery and intend to take the camera to London this weekend to try it out. When I do, I shall post some pictures.

Thanks again,

Graham

 

[BillBingham2]

Graham,

Congrats, sounds like a wonderful experience and please share your results, observations and opinion.

Well done Sir!

B2 (;->

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Graham,

I envy you. I can't even get a review camera that fast. It doesn't seem reasonable, does it, that those apparently minor changes made the camera so much nicer?

Does Red Dot sell the black paint versions as well? Or have they now opened a Black Dot subsidiary in the basement?

Cheers,

R.

 

[GMcD]

Hi All

Thanks for the kind words. Roger, I didn't know there was a black paint version,but Red Dot have black standard version and chrome due in Friday.

They do have 2 Leica days on Friday and Saturday this week if anyone wants to handle the new cameras. Should add no connection only a happy first time customer.

Graham

 

[Bob Parsons]

Hi All

Thanks for the kind words. Roger, I didn't know there was a black paint version,but Red Dot have black standard version and chrome due in Friday.

They do have 2 Leica days on Friday and Saturday this week if anyone wants to handle the new cameras. Should add no connection only a happy first time customer.

Graham

I hope to call in and see them tomorrow. Fingers crossed that Leica have been able to supply the 21 and 24mm Summiluxes to demonstrate. I'd like to see how they handle on the M8. I'm also interested to see how the 75mm frame line turns out on the M8.2 and/or upgrade.

Bob.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Good to see people's faith on a product. Congratulations on the purchase, Graham! I'd like to see the photos you take with it! 🙂

 

[sevres_babylone]

Congratulations on your purchase. I remember the excitement when my R-D1 arrived in 2005. If you get half the enjoyment out of your purchase, that I got out of mine, you will be more than pleased. I am also looking forward to seeing your photos.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hi All
I didn't know there was a black paint version,but Red Dot have black standard version and chrome due in Friday.

Dear Graham,

Yes, they're dropping black chrome and going to black paint -- with the 'red dot' in black, hence my comment.

My understanding was that all black M8.2 models will be black paint (a bipack, like modern car paints) but if there are any black chrome models I suppose they'll become collectible...

Equally, I may have misunderstood: there was a LOT of wine at the launch party!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Steve Ash]

Congrats, I will pick up my M8.2 next week. Which lenses you choose to accompany the M8.2?

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Fuchs]

Congratulations from the other side of the Equator, Graham.
Enjoy

 

[GMcD]

Hi All

Thanks for all your good wishes. As luck would have it the rain hasn't stopped since I made my purchase - or if it did left me with flat uninspiring light.

I intend to use it much of the time with my old style tri-elmar. The 28/35/50 lens options are perfect for my kind of photography.

Pictures will be posted as soon as I can get out with the camera. My first impressions are that it handles beautifully and the shutter sound is far quieter than my old M8.

Graham

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Yes, they're dropping black chrome and going to black paint
(...)

Equally, I may have misunderstood: there was a LOT of wine at the launch party!

Good g@wd I hope you misunderstood, because I don't like black paint. In my opinion (which is always humble, as you may know 😉 ) it's only suitable for lighted shelf display. Or if you really are into that "brassing" (which, btw, I've never ever ever ever seen a modern black paint camera with brassing).

That aside, if there's another round of I-dare-you-to-wait-while-the-older-guy-with-a-huge-sense-of-entitlement-impatiently-waits-his-turn-right-behind-you-as-you're-also-waiting-for-the-older-guy-in front-of-you-going-on-and-on-and-on-and-on-with-his-friend-behind-the counter (aka Leica Day with only one sample of each camera), then I'll muster up the courage and go and try to try the M8.2 myself and see if it's worth upgrading my M8 without neutering the shutter.

 

[GMcD]

Hi

I should add that although Leica call the finish "black paint" my dealer, who has contacted Leica, assures me that it is not black paint as we know it. It is, for want of a better answer, a black paint look.

So there are only 2 finishes. As far as I am aware.

Graham

 

[Roger Hicks]

Ummm...

It's a bipack black paint, which 'cures' like an epoxy resin. It is not black chrome, because they were having increasing problems with this.

In my book, that makes it black paint, not a black paint look. In fact I'm not sure how to get a 'black paint look' without black paint of some kind. It may however be rather tougher than the previous black paint.

Frances understood much the same as I did, and drank less.

Then again, I like black paint, even when it gets frankly scabby (like my Olympus Pen W) or manky (like my MP), and I have very little time for 'black chrome': my M4-P looked so awful inside a year from new that a Leica dealer friend advised me to send it back under warranty.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Bully]

Congratulations Graham!
You made a good choice!

The black paint of the M8.2 is really black paint. But it is a more reliable paint than on the MP. The MP has a more shiny black paint (piano laquer). The paint on the M8.2 looks a bit like black chrome but it is paint.

Bully

 

[Doug]

So it is black paint with a black chrome look? :angel:

 

[ali_baba]

M8.2 thoughs...

M8.2 thoughs...

so in having such recurring problems with my m8's banding, ccd errors, etc. the people in jersey decided to get me a M8.2 loaner as I need a reliable body for work.

so my thoughts are as follows.
•The shutter is what it should be, great, handheld results @ 1/30th and 1/15th are great @ ISO 640
•The cosmetics are much better.
•Vulcanite doesn't add much, but is an improvement over the previous plastic type of covering.
•S Mode is useless and annoying when one ends on it, its easy to notice however useless it is.
•Unfortunately the Banding issues I have been dealing with incessantly appear to be there still. I tested it initially on a white wall when i opened the box, and sure enough a line appeared.

I just finished a day of shooting a wedding with it and the silence of it was perfect. however when i fired off my M8 the church echoed so loud i dwarfed the SLR that my friend was shooting with. like a rock in a trashcan is what it sounds like, and even worse after having the M8.2 on the other shoulder.

so yes, its worth it i suppose whatever that means, not to me, but i am still trying to get my money's worth out of my M8's, cant justify upgrading at this point.

 

[SixPM]

I've just got my 8.2 today, and have tried with all my M mount lenses, apart from the quiet shutter, the major improvement is the accuracy of the bright line viewer, I dare to say now is about 96% plus, which the 8 faired badly.

 

[bradhusick]

The shine of the finish is about halfway between the black chrome and the black paint of the MP.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

My black chrome m8 is wearing nicely, showing some brass around the edges. I think the M6, M4 black chromes had zinc, or whatever, underneath and so weared out differently.